Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, the Chairperson for the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Inquiry into waste and recycling, provides the following comments on the release of the report ,“Never waste a crisis: the waste and recycling industry in Australia”.

The Inquiry was established in August last year following the expose by Four Corners, “Trashed”, into the then emerging waste and recycling crisis, that was later aggravated by China’s recyclables import ban.

Waste & Recycling and Healthy Oceans portfolio holder, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, today has launched the Greens’ response to the national recycling crisis and the growing problem of marine plastic pollution.

“Australians love their recycling. Around the country, households have been doing the right thing for years.

Greens spokesperson for Waste and Recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, urges the Ipswich City Council to reconsider their decision to start dumping recyclable material and calls upon the Federal Government and states to urgently agree on a policy response at next Friday's COAG meeting that averts similar decisions from other Australian councils.

Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says that while steps forward by Queensland and NSW on waste policy are providing necessary stopgap measures, federal intervention is needed to put a permanent end to the recycling crisis.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The states are stepping up their actions on waste and recycling to stem the worst elements of the increasingly dysfunctional system and this is welcome. However, the long-term solution needs strong leadership from the Federal government.

Greens waste and recyling spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson provides the following comments on the evidence heard at the Senate waste and recycling Inquiry held in Sydney today.

[NB: Short audios for key witness statements can be found below.]

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “It is official now. Australia is in a nationwide recycling and waste crisis. A system of kerbside recycling that has been in place for decades is collapsing. "